15 Best Shopping Malls in Tokyo

With a history dating back to the 17th century, Mitsukoshi is Japan’s oldest and grandest department store chain. Referred to as the ‘Harrods of Tokyo’, the Ginza store was built in 1930 and houses many top brands of the likes of Tiffany & Co. Be sure to check out the amazing kimono department.

With its neo-renaissance architecture and landmark clock tower, the Wako building is easy to find at the intersection of Chuo and Harumi streets. Created by the team behind Seiko watches, Wako Department store is very exclusive and prices reflect this. The store carries a large selection of Seiko watches, luxury fashion brands and accessories. You can also find a great Japanese food in Wako Ginza. 

A part of the colourful Palette Town entertainment park, Venus Fort is not your typical neon-lit shopping mall. Stepping inside is like being transported to romantic Venice. The interior design presents shop facades, street corners, and even the ceilings, to resemble a Venetian street. Referred to as an amusement park for ladies, Venus Fort has over 100 fashion boutiques and stores selling items mainly aimed at the female market.

Located under the Venus Fort shopping mall, Venus Family has a smaller number of shops but they are more spacious and aimed at a wider market. Interior decorations, sporting goods, kids clothing and toys, pets and accessories and bookstores are represented here.

Lumine Est is 1 of 3 Lumine shopping malls in Shinjuku, all of which are located above different sections of Shinjuku JR Station. These malls have a focus on top brand names like Gucci, Izzey Miyake and Prada, and with Lumine Est being the largest, it has the best collection of high-end boutiques. A particular favourite is the large  Beams store on B1 floor. The other 2 Lumine locations to the south and south-east exits of Shinjuku station cater to a wider age group and income level.

Ultra-chic Omotesando Hills is a premier shopping mall housing the who’s who of international fashion. Dolce & Gabbana, Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent, Harry Winston and many more top brands are present over the 6-story building accompanied by a line of zelkova trees. It was designed by award-winning architect Tadao Ando. Popular Japanese fashion boutiques in Omotesando Hills include Yohji Yamamoto and Junhashimoto. You’ll find plenty of cafes and restaurants if you need to refuel.

Akasaka Sacas is a huge developement of 5 separate towers, and it has the area's best shopping options located in the Akasaka Biz Tower building. The stores here range in content and purpose from clothing and accessories to salons and skin treatment centres. An interesting experience is a visit to the SMAP shop where swarms of girls head to worship the Japanese pop boy-band. Akasaka Sacas is connected to Asakasa subway station. 

LaForet Harajuku is a fantastic shoppping mall displaying hipster teen fashion in all it's incredible variety. With 7 floors of the hottest youth style, LaForet is a fashion mecca. The layout is a little confusing and the hundreds of individual stores can be difficult to navigate, but just strolling around is a fascinating insight into Japanese fashion trends. LaForet also has an interesting museum on the top floor and an auditorium that holds cultural events.

This huge shopping mall is designed around a ship theme, with open walkways that look like the decks of an ocean liner. Inside, Decks Tokyo Beach contains a food theme park called Little Hong Kong, Sega’s theme park Joypolis and a plethora of shops selling everything from toys and pet products to home decorations and fashion.

Seibu Shibuya is a major department store split into 2 different buildings. The stores presented here range from Tiffany&co. jewellery, to everyday items from shops like Loft and Muji. With it's collection of the latest in fashion, accessories, cosmetics, appliances, and a number of restaurants, it's fair to say Seibu Shibuya has something for the whole family. Some of the high-end anchor tenants at Seibu Shibuya include Vivienne Westwood, Hermes, Marc Jacobs and Issey Miyake.

Aquacity shopping mall is aimed at the mid-level market with many popular fashion brands and plenty of franchise restaurants. It's a good place to shop if you're on a budget. Along with the various chain stores, you will find some boutiques, designer labels and stores specialising in decorative homeware in Aquacity. Located right by the sea the views from out front are spectacular on a clear day. In addition to the numerous shops, Aquacity has a 13-screen cinema complex.

Isetan Shinjuku is the flagship store of this favourite traditional Japanese department store. Spread across 10 floors, there's a mix of top Japanese and western designer boutiques, a high-end grocery store and lots of places to eat. Check out the Isetan Art Museum on the 8th floor for a nice break from shopping.

Loveless is a concept store showcasing over 100 of Japan’s up-and-coming labels, plus Japan’s fashion heavyweights, in a creative environment that encompasses 3 wildly creative levels. The basement level, called the Darkside, is a cave-like room presenting music, books, and free drinks for customers. The top floor, named Sunny Side, is vastly different, with numerous brightly-coloured dresses lined up. The central floor has mainly accessories including shoes, bags and luggage. Loveless is walking distance from Omotesando station.  

Shibuya 109 is a landmark shopping mall and an icon of Shibuya. It’s dedicated to the cutting-edge of Japan’s fashion trends, and there are so many niche subcultures covered here, it’s a real eyeopener! The small stores are packed in tight so it’s not the most relaxing shopping spot, but it’s extremely popular.

Cheaper than the department stores, Shibuya 109 is very crowded almost all the time so it’s best to visit on a weekday. The viewpoint on the top floor is probably the best spot for getting a panoramic view of Shibuya’s famous 6-way intersection.

One of the older department stores in Ginza, Matsuya was built in 1925. With a golf school and a pet shop on the top floor, Matsuya is not your ordinary department store. There’s lots to browse and buy and a gallery on the seventh floor which exhibits the best in contemporary and classic wares, selected by an esteemed panel of judges from the Japan Design Committee.